A need exists to measure displacements and strains for materials subjected to high temperatures at or above 1500° F. One example is materials used for spacecraft which are experiencing atmospheric re-entry. There are also other high temperature environments in which displacements and strain measurements are needed (examples include, but are not limited to, hypersonic flight vehicles, high temperature engine turbines, and high performance engines). Conventional measurement technologies cannot measure displacements and strains at these temperatures because they cannot physically survive or function. Likewise, current optical measurement methods that measure displacements and strains by observing changes in the patterns applied to the observed surface are currently limited to ambient temperatures, or temperatures far less than 1500° F. Existing techniques cannot be used to make these measurements at high temperatures because current materials used to create these patterns cannot survive at such temperatures. There is a need to create a new test methodology to measure displacement and strain at high temperatures and to verify a material's structural performance at those temperatures.